the story of black
by t s amin
Summary: The untold story of Sirius Black following Pettigrew's betrayal of the Potters and Voldemort's downfall. Covers the trial of Sirius, the end of the war and will follow into his imprisonment in Azkaban, his escape and the reunion with Harry. Sympathetic portrayal of Sirius.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer I own nothing Jo does

**1. Peter Pettigrew Must Die**

A large black dog sped spectacularly through the darkened streets of Godrick's Hollow. It was Christmas Eve and there was a hanging gloom which lingered the snow laden town. Suddenly the dog stopped and seemed to disappear as a man took its place. The man looked haunted as he stood outside a wreckage, the remains of the secret-house, the last of the Potters. No longer enchanted the blasted cottage shamefully stood out in the open. The building looked as if it would fall in any second yet simultaneously it stood remarkably still. Sirius Black released a howl as he dropped helplessly on his knees. He shook with grief as his worst fears were confirmed. His best friend, Lily... his godson.

A huge shadow caught Black's attention. Instinctively he whipped out his wand and sunk into the darkness. He watched the shadow emerge from the wreckage. The thing too seemed shaken. Black heard sobbing.

"Hagrid" Black sighed with relief. His voice was hoarse with emotion. The half-giant said nothing and walked towards him. Black then saw the bundle of blankets clutched in Hagrid's arms and allowed himself to feel a glimmer of hope. "Hagrid?"

Hagrid's tear stained face looked down at the once-handsome man broken with grief and aged by war. He clumsily handed the bundle to Black who looked stunned as he clutched the life in his arms and pressed it against his chest. The grief in his heart continued to pulse but it was numbed with the joy contained in his arms fast asleep. Harry lived. A fresh set of tears swamped Black's tired face. Harry lived!

Now the sadness ebbed away dominated by fury. Sirius seemed to be controlled by it as he robotically handed Harry to Hagrid. "Go to Dumbledore. Take my bike. It's parked by the the town centre. Take care of him."

"Sirius?" Hagrid asked puzzlingly. "Sirius! Oy!" Sirius had transformed and ran out of sight. Hagrid looked around wearily and with a final glance at the cottage, he too left the scene.

The house remained still, as though sustained by magic, a tragic beauty seemed to illuminate from the wreckage. Cutting through the gloom now was a sense of hope. This was the last destructive act Voldemort would have the power to do in a long time. Celebrations occurred in the Wizarding world. Even muggles sensed the end of the unexplainable despair. While they all gathered in jubilation Sirius Black hunted. Every drive in his war worn body was fired up with swift revenge. "Peter Pettigrew must die."

While Black hunted his prey fled panic-stricken in the form of his animagus; a common garden rodent. Peter Pettigrew was lost. His master had perished. The dark mark had faded leaving a mere shadow behind. The death eaters were being rounded up as he ran underground in the sewers. The Potter's were dead. Sirius, Remus, Dumbledore were alive. The order were out in the open. The chances of his survival were slim. Sirius's eyes featured again and again in his nightmares. Blood thirsty. Peter knew him well enough to know Sirius was after him and wouldn't rest till he had killed him. Peter squeaked with terror and he glanced around the alleyway before transforming and as quick as a flash he disapparated.

"Do we have no imagination?" Sirius taunted. Peter Pettigrew shook with terror as his attempt to apparate failed him. "Tut tut, is Peter trapped?" Sirius was thoroughly enjoying this but half of him was repulsed and it took great nerve for him to delay strangling the treacherous coward at first opportunity. He wanted Peter to suffer. The two men were in the Shrieking Shack. Black stood by the door lazily as Peter searched frantically for a way to escape.

"Sirius!" Peter pleaded. "It wasn't me"

"Save the lies" Sirius spat. "Haven't you had enough? How pathetic could you get I always wondered but I believe, yes, you've reached the all time low. Sacrificing your friends who have protected you, cared for you, loved you for what? To become a servant?"

Peter whimpered. "Sirius I tried to resist but I was under the Imperius curse, you have to believe me!"

"Crucio." Sirius calmly casted. Peter's rat-like squeaks echoed off the walls. "Believe you? You double crossing coward. Believe you?" Sirius's laughs joined the echoes of pain.

Sirius suddenly relaxed his wand. Peter lay on the floor, breathless. His dirt entrenched hair was sprawled on his face.

"No, the real question is. What to do with you?"

"Expelliarmus!" Peter had taken advantage of Sirius's back turned and now leered at Sirius who stood fuming at himself. Wandless and reckless Sirius wasn't about to let the rat slip away as Wormtail turned to apparate Sirius pounced in his animagi form, his claws sunk into Peter's back and they both spun into an ordinary muggle street.

People stopped to stare at the wild beast clawing the filthy looking man but before they could register the image the dog was now a man with a look of murder in his maddening eyes.

Sirius had resorted to muggle duelling, in his fit of rage he didn't even attempt to win back his wand but reached for Peter's throat. A panic stirred around him. Some muggles were screaming. "He's going to kill the poor man, someone call the police!" Sirius paid no attention to it. He was a man obsessed. He smiled like a cat that had got it's cream when his hands finally found itself around the traitor's neck, his weight forced Peter against the cold gravel of Christmas Day. Bells rang from a distant church. Families in their Christmas jumpers, children with their newly opened toys, couples kissing under the mistletoe and the town drunk with his bottle of brandy all witnessed a bang explode from the two strange men and screamed as the impact, in a matter of seconds killed half the witnesses. The force radiating from the bang was immense and violent but invisible. Buildings cracked and began to crumble. The melted snow turned to ice. The finale was the small mousy figure, who had escaped the taller man, shouting with tears pouring down his filthy face "Lily and James, Sirius! How could you!" Then another bang followed blinding everyone for a moment. Peter Pettigrew had vanished. His robes stood in the place he had been standing a bloody finger. Next to the bloody mess was a hole which had blasted through the street causing cracks into the infrastructure streets from the epicentre.

Sirius burst into laughter, cursing himself for failing to avenge his friends deaths. Without his wand he stood in the catastrophe and looked around and bellowed with laughter. Was he mad? Sirius thought so. In the next minute cries from the survivors surrounded him. The magical law enforcement squad had apparated into the street and Black was stunned mid-laugh and transported to the Ministry of Magic. Witness statements were filed. Memories wiped. A cover story placed. Journalists flooded the scene from both worlds as news went international of the deaths on Christmas day by a madman.


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer I own nothing Jo does.

**2. Remus Lupin**

When Sirius next woke his thoughts landed on little Harry who he'd betrayed as godfather. Then he grew confused as he absorbed the scene around him. He was on a metal bed with a single sheet. The only light came from a slit in the door. The room was windowless. Then it dawned on him. He had been arrested. Sirius had to be with Harry. He couldn't be imprisoned. "OPEN THE DOOR! CAN ANYONE HEAR ME? LET ME OUT." He roared and to no response. His screams continued into the night. He shouted till he could no more. Until his voice represented his dying hope. A bare whisper. "Harry.."

Meanwhile little Harry had awoken to two strange faces staring down at him. A pink fat face, framed with two additional necks and a stupendous mustache glared at the boy with piggy eyes and a look of deep mistrust. A horse faced woman with an incredibly long neck, pale face and a snooty nose too looked at Harry. She looked terrified of him. Harry took in this strange sight and whimpered longing for the smiling people who he normally woke up to.

"Petunia I won't have it. He'll have to go to the orphanage." Vernon straightened his back after inspecting the boy. The scar on his forehead unnerved him. Petunia's purse lips thinned her hands clutching an opened letter shaking.

Harry began to cry. Petunia looked at the baby then looked to the letter in her hands. Her decision was made as she watched the newly made orphan with those eyes that resembled, unnervingly, those of her sisters.

Outside 4 Privet Drive all was quiet. The lights which had mysteriously momentarily lapsed were back on casting the streets in shadow. Lurking in the dark outside the kitchen window was a man wearing a set of shabby robes and a somber expression on his face. Remus Lupin watched the animated argument inside Petunia's gleaming kitchen as the cradle sat on the table between them. "What about Dudley?" snarled Vernon. "It might rub off on him!". Petunia retired to a chair and snapped "It doesn't work like that." tried a new tack. "Petunia" he started resignedly. "You were reluctant to look at the boy ten minutes ago. What changed?"

Remus sunk onto the ground as he listened to the circular argument. His face was a thoughtful one but his eyes revealed the troublesome thoughts which bothered him tangled with grief and feelings of betrayal. He wondered why he had come here to sulk in the darkness. Dumbledore had explained and he was right as he always was, Harry was safest here.

Yet as he sat there listening to the reluctance of Harry's aunt and uncle to take him he could not help but feel surely he could give him what he would so obviously lack here.

But not safety a small voice piped up in his confusing thoughts. Yes Remus agreed. What was the value of love when Harry's life would be at a constant risk. Him being what he was. Weary with himself for allowing the idea to occupy him he sobbed. It had overwhelmed him. Dorcus, Edgar, the Prewitts, Benjy... Peter, Lily, James. And Sirius.

Remus still couldn't believe it. Yet the facts spoke for themselves. Sirius had been secret keeper. The house had been discovered. He betrayed James. But it didn't tally with who Remus believed Sirius to be.

"Fine. But we can't ever let him know who his parents were or what- what he is." Vernon sighed. Petunia agreed. "Never."

Lupin sat there long after the Dursley's vacated the kitchen and Harry was placed in the spare bedroom. As it neared midnight Lupin stood up silently and disapparated.

Magnificent fireworks showered the sky far and wide. These were no ordinary fireworks as they shot miles into the sky and exploded into brilliant images of dragons and leprechauns. The source of all the mayhem was from Dedalus Diggle's backyard. Held under the velvet plum marquee stood floating at the centre were a few dozen witches and wizards either dancing or laughing. On the raised stage in the corner sang Celestina Warbeck wearing blood red dress robes with a surly band behind her playing an upbeat jazz number. On the dance floor Ludo Bagman moved the most animatedly surrounding by a crowd of shrieking girls and Gilderoy Lockhart.

The song ended and the marquee rang with applause and encores when Minerva McGonogall apparated onto the stage right next to Celestina. There was a brief silence as the audience took in the stern appearance of the grey haired lady who surveyed the party with clear disapproval with her bespeckled hawk-like eyes. A complete contrast to the vivacious velvet clad singer next to her affronted at the interruption. "Fancied a duo did we Minerva?!" Ludo bellowed winking at the professor as the party resumed in titters. Minerva merely set her jaw and stepped briskly off the stage and called sharply "Diggle!".

Dedalus DIggle was a squat wizard with a large purple top hat worn tall and a matching exuberant smile. "Minerva dear finally! I suppose you can tell us where Albus has got to? He did say-" He stopped at the look on her face which looked unusually unsettled.

"Minerva?"

"The Potters.." she began. At the mention of the Potter's Bertha Jones joined them. Minerva looked weary in continuing for the bubbly plump witch who was known for her aptitude in little else but gossip. Dedalus knew Minerva well enough to put down his drink and fetch a chair. As Minerva sat down she tried again. "Dead."

"Didn't I say!" Bertha cried jubilantly. Dedalus's look of concern turned into shock then horror. No he mouthed and conjured a chair for himself. Bertha began to ask "Young Harry too?" when Greta Catchlove, a tall thin witch, caught sight of Minerva.

"Minerva I didn't know you'd-" but like Dedalus stopped once she absorbed the two sat down; MInerva close to tears, Dedalus looking as though he'd been petrified and Bertha looking breathless with anticipation.

"No" she sniffed seeming to regain her composure. "He somehow survived."


End file.
